Magic Bound
by Clockwork's Apprentice
Summary: Jen Constantine, with the power of her father and her mother, is a force to be reckoned with. Yet, she stays true to her roots with traditional remedies that, personally, no one at SPR really appreciates nor respects. Until a darker force, stronger than anything they thought was possible, sweeps its way throughout the country and Jen is forced to reveal her true power.
1. Prologue

**Title:** Magic Bound  
 **Summary:** Jen Constantine, with the power of her father and her mother, is a force to be reckoned with. Yet, she stays true to her roots with traditional remedies that, personally, no one at SPR really appreciates nor respects. Until a darker force, stronger than anything they thought was possible, sweeps its way throughout the country and Jen is forced to reveal her true power.  
 **Genre:** Fantasy/Friendship/Mild Horror  
 **Rating:** T for mild violence, mentions of violent crimes/violence, ghosts, and paranormal activity  
 **Disclaimer:** _I do not own nor claim_ _Ghost Hunt_ _. I do not own nor claim DC Universe._

 **A/N:** Minor crossover with DC Universe with Jen being an OC whose the daughter of John Constantine and Zatana. The spirit 'attached' to her is really just her best friend, Deadman aka Boston while her uncle is none other than Jason Blood. This follows mostly into the Justice League Dark storyline.

 **PROLOGUE**

* * *

There are things in this world that can't be explained, things that paranormal investigators look into and explore to protect families, people, victims. But what they don't realize is that they're only barely scraping the surface of this other world. They see it through a thin sheet of glass, too scared to look beyond it - too scared to shatter it and take a step into the unknown.

Evil, darkness, madness…. Magic…. It all ties within the paranormal world, stringing through it like a sewing needle with a blood-stained thread, like a warning that no one wants to acknowledge. Its thread spreads its roots into the ground of the land and works its way into people's souls, tempting them by disguising darkness as light, hate as love. Necromancers are born through that thread; voodoo, dark ritual magic, it all stems from it and breeds more darkness.

The darkness is spreading too fast, crawling its way into magic users across the world - across the dimensions - creating problems on world-ending proportions. It's effecting things on a more domestic level too - a level that a group of heroes in tights can't fix.

She's seen the headlines. A man murdered his family in Amity, Ohio, using an ax to kill them in their sleep. A farmer in Nebraska killed ten teen girls before he was discovered. Several serial killers making their way through Europe. More in Australia. Drug and turf wars spreading through South America. It's subtle, but it's there in the really violent acts. People who claim to have no memory of what they've done, some saying the devil made them do it.

That violence seeps into the soil and breeds a level of violence that attracts things on a more paranormal level - things that don't belong here in this realm. Things that normal paranormal investigators aren't ready for.

She doubts that she's ready for it, but she's going to try her damn best. Her father is doing God-knows-what, probably pissing off the wrong types of people and creatures, but hopefully helping with some world threat or another. The more she thinks about it, the more she believes that he's just passed out in some bar on the other side of the galaxy. Uncle Jason won't be any help, but at least with him, she knows that he's tracking down some world threat or dark force. Likely has his hands full doing it too. She's on her own.

A loud crash comes from behind her, causing her to jump and turn swiftly to see a familiar spirit looking at her sheepishly, a broken vase shattered on the floor. _Almost on my own anyway._

"This is the last time I ask a spirit to help me move," she groans, rubbing her temples, "I told you not to touch anything breakable. That vase could've had some trapped spirit or force inside of it. Breaking it could have released some awful evil upon the world that cannot be banished, only contained."

Boston blinks blankly and looks down at the vase, kicking it with his foot - which doesn't do much, being a spirit, his foot goes through its remains.

"Did it?"

"No I got it on sale at Target, but my point remains."

With a wave of her hand, a purple magic-infused wind surrounds the remains and repairs it before setting it on its rightful shelf. Boston watches the repairing vase with a tired expression, floating a few inches off the ground as he crosses his legs.

"If you can do that, Jennykins, I don't see why you need any help -" He catches her expression and crinkles his nose, "Yeah, yeah, I know, you like to use the traditional way of things, but come on, a little magic ain't ever hurt nobody. You already use it to fix everything you break."

She crosses her arms against her chest, "One, don't call me Jennykins. It's Jen. Just Jen. Two, everything _you_ break and that's what magic does. It's supposed to fix things, not make you too lazy to do anything yourself. Besides, magical cancer ring any bells? Too much of anything is bad for you - magic included."

He snorts, "Maybe you should tell ya father that."

"Yeah," she raises a brow, "And how do you suppose I do that? Through the cell he never answers, the emails he never reads, or a summoning he banishes before it can even work?"

Boston scratches at his head with an expression on his face that tells her that he knows that she's right. She nods triumphantly and turns her back to him to continue rearranging furniture. A new office isn't easy work between the furniture, the jewels, gemstones, warding, and plants. It's a lot of damn work. The good news is that at least she's almost done. Two more boxes of artifacts sit against the wall, a few paintings and artwork lay beside them. Freshly potted plants aline the window sill and there's multiple plants hanging from the ceiling. Incenses and essential oils burn in a container on a shelf, filling the room with peaceful aromas.

"You didn't have to follow me to Japan, you know." She opens the last two remaining boxes, "It's not as if you're bound to me or anything. You have free will and a hunger for justice to fill."

"And leave you to be in a foreign country? By yourself? No way, no how, sweetcheeks."

Boston lingers behind her, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end, "Besides you tend to find all of the tormented souls anyway. You take care of helping them move on and I get to bring their killers to justice. It's a win-win."

Jen rolls her eyes, but doesn't deny his logic as she beings setting different artifacts on a bookshelf. She already burned the entire area with sage, cleansing absolutely everything so the artifacts' energy won't be affected by any lingering negativity within the shelves' wood or the air. Pink himalayan salt sits in a shell on the table in the center of the room to soak up any negativity that may enter. The wards that have been set make her feet tingle, knowing that they are working properly. Salt lines the windows, hidden by potted plants. There's a small break in a salt line at the door so Boston can go and leave as he pleases, but he knows that when the office is locked, the line will be filled in.

She may not always know what she's doing, but she's not stupid enough to let Boston have free-range of any artifacts in the office.

"I'm still surprised Blood let you have this."

Boston admires a large red stone, his hand reaching out to touch it, eyes wide as saucers. She slaps his hand away. He looks at her with a stunned, hurt expression, holding his hand to his chest as it sizzles. She gives him her best no duh expression as she lifts her right hand at him, particularly the middle finger - a double ring shines brilliantly, reflecting off sunlight that comes in through the opened window. He recoils at the sight.

"I'm offended you think you need that for me. I'm wounded, Jen, wounded."

Her grin turns devilish, "The Clairsentient, the only ring made by some god or another who got tired of Hades' shit and decided that they should be able to touch spirits too. Little did they know, it would prove to be one of the most effective method on scolding annoying pests."

"But it burns," Boston whines, but he won't be gaining any sympathy.

"Visit Hell, then you can complain about burning." He grumbles toucheat her comment as she sighs, "In the meantime, your help is much appreciated in shelving these volumes of Muse. And Boston -"

She gives him a pointed look, waving toward the direction of the red rock that oozes atrocious energy, "Don't touch it. Blood needs me to watch over it for a while and I promised I would protect it."

It takes three minutes of working on shelving the books before he finally stops grumbling under his breath - he gives up trying to possess her to change her mind, but a quick kick to the shin got him to stop. She's worked with her father for years, but Boston is the real reason she's thankful for the Clairsentient. She glances around the magical artifacts in the room - the red rocks that she's guarding for her Uncle, the shield with ancient ruins that hang on the wall, the haunted doll on a table contained by an enchanted glass dome, various magical gems and stones. The list is essentially endless, especially combined with the extensive book collection of various magics - ancient, modern, and warding. She thinks that she got it all covered and a few hours later, she can't help but feel a sense of pride of what's been accomplished.

Everything looks beautiful and the room feels light and warm. The plants add a touch of life that balances everything out. The desk, filing cabinets, bookcases, shelves, are all a reminder that it's an office.

Her office. That's a lot to take in - going into this, she debated long and hard about what the name of her new agency should be called. She can't exactly use her last name, it would just be a big bright neon sign to everything magical in the entire country that hey I'm right here. Not exactly helpful when her goal is to help all the people suffering from the magical, mystical, and paranormal.

Boston has tried to give several name suggestions, but all were turned down when a majority were more suited for a more adult workplace. It took a long time for her to settle on Lifetower. She may or may not have heard of the Watchtower from her father and decided to stick to the theme.

"Jennygirl, it's past your bedtime," Boston chimes and she turns to see him pointing toward the clock, "We should probably head out. It's getting pretty late."

She resists the urge to correct him on the fact that since she is an adult, and on her own, she doesn't have a bedtime, but a yawn overpowers it. He is right, it is late. She nods sleepily and follows him out of the room, barely remembering to grab a container of salt to bind the line after she left. She turns off the lights, makes it through the doorway, about to finish the salt line, when her eyes look through the dark office at the red rocks that stand out against the shadows.

Her gut turns and her eyebrows furrow with concern at the sudden sense of dread that fills her. She steps back into the office to flip on the light. With the light on, the red rocks seem to disappear into the background, but her eyes never leave them. She sets down the salt container and stalks toward the rocks.

Her hand hovers around them. Her palm begins to tingle, humming deep into her veins with a negative energy that makes her gut turn. Uncle Jason is right, these are not to be messed with and just reek of bad news. She bites at her lower lip in debate before taking a deep breath. This is going to need all the protection she can give to keep it out of the wrong hands. No. It's going to take more than she can give because she has no doubts of its abilities to attract the bad, the ugly, and the evil.

She takes a coin out of her pocket - ancient writing gleams against its golden surface. She whispers an incarnation under her breath, holding the coin tight before lifting it to her lips in a light kiss, pouring nothing but positivity, good intentions, and a good heart into its metal before she places it on the shelf, just in front of the rocks.

It may have been a trick of the eye, but she swears that the rocks lit up with an angry spark, lashing out toward the coin. But she blinks and sees nothing out of the ordinary. She hovers her hand around the area and can a tension between the two items, btu hopefully the good energy within the coin will be strong enough to mask the negativity of the rocks.

"Do you think it's a good idea to leave it out in the open?"

She winces at the close proximity between Boston and her as he hovers behind her, his face

inches from her ear. His eyes focus on the rocks and the coin.

"Probably not," she answers honestly, "But it's been a draining day. I think after I've had time to recharge that I'll do one of Mom's illusions spells to mask it even more - the more hidden it is, the better. For now, this and all of the warding I have set should be enough."

Boston doesn't speak for several moments – his gaze never leaves the rocks. For the first time in years, his expression is void of its usual lighthearted laughter and easy going nature. He looks… grim. Depressingly so.

"I hope you're right, Jen," his whisper is so soft she almost doesn't hear it. "… I hope you're right."


	2. Chapter One

**CHAPTER ONE**

* * *

Every morning for the past month, she's walked into the office and looked straight toward the red rocks. The illusion spell has hidden them from the average eye, but she knows their location and they call to her. She's not sure what she's expecting to see or what she's really looking for. Just that something never feels right and no matter how often she recharges the coin, it seems to drain its positive influences too quick to be normal. She's resorted to storing the rocks, and the coin, in a safe with more than a few simple wardings, going as far as placing mirrors on the inside of the safe's walls and lining the outside with salt and ruins before carefully placing it in the bottom left hand drawer of her desk.

It helps. But through the day, she finds her hand lingering at the drawer. As it it's trying to get her to open the drawer and the safe, to check on it. She knows in her gut that if she listens to that call then something bad will happen. She keeps rubix cubes and word searches at her desk now, anything to keep her hands busy.

She tries her best to keep her thoughts occupied with work, but it's been proven to be less than busy. Enough to pay the bills, sure, but if it slows down anymore she's going to have to add fortune telling, palm reading, and tarot cards to their list of services. There's already a messaging machine full of requests for them and while she doesn't want what's supposed to be a ghost hunting business name slandered, money is money. The more respectable paranormal community don't take well to _that_ type of business. While there are people who are gifted - psychics, clairvoyants, etc. - and are praised in the paranormal community, most who sell those services, such as fortune telling, are a sham. Not something a real psychic would make money off of.

Jen looks into her tea cup, eying the leaves and hopes that the paranormal professionals are right - that fortune telling heads no truth. According to the leaves, hers isn't looking too good right now. With a sigh, a bit in disappointment, she turns to Boston just in time to see him reach for a book off of the shelf. He stops when he sees Jen watching him, raising an eyebrow in warning. He pulls away from the shelf, sheepish at getting busted for messing with the books' order. She'd rather not have to rearrange them again or waste her own magic energy to fix his shenanigans, but she's given up trying to get him to fix his own pranks. It's not as if she has any real control over him anyway.

"You know, Jennygirl," Boston hovers off of the ground, "I've said it before, but this place is dead even for a spiritualist. What you need are some clients."

"What I need is a coffee maker and a good silencing spell," she mumbles under her break, rubbing her temples as her head begins to pound. He doesn't notice her comment - or rather, he does and chooses to ignore it.

The hairs on her neck stand up as he breathes down it.

"I can scare a few people maybe," he wiggles his fingers in the air ominously, "Spook a few people, maybe whisper your name or write it on the wall with blood and hope they get the message."

Jen leans back in her chair, causing him to drift through her body - he oomphs as he gets a bit distorted and drifts through the desk before settling in front of it. Her arms cross against her chest as she looks at him, unimpressed.

"That may have worked on Batman when you needed him to recruit my dad, but if you do it here, you know damn well that they're going to be calling some priest, not a barely-legal self-proclaimed spiritualist. Where do you even get the blood for it?"

"Butcher's." He shrugs. "I ain't about to go stealin' any blood bags that could keep another ghost from coming into existence, ya know."

Jen hums in thought, furrowing her brows before shaking her head at even considering the idea, "You know what? Maybe writing my name in any type of blood isn't the smartest -"

She's cut off by the door swinging open. She's barely able to stay in her chair, her body prepared to fight. Boston, who can't be seen by the average person, still jumps before taking a place behind Jen as if she can shield him from being seen. She almost snaps at him for it, but she's too focused on the person that walked in.

The stranger is small and the way the sleeves of her kimino falls around her hands and shoulders make her seem even smaller. She has a familiar face that Jen can't quite place. The aura and energy around her give her away as some type of medium or psychic. Strong, but in a low-level, typical run of the mill way. Cropped black hair falls just past her ears and her dark eyes have an almost violent shine to them. She looks around the room curiously, lingering on a few items here and there, carefully considering the ruins etched on parchment that's placed along some of the wall space and the salt barriers lining the windows and a few of the objects.

Jen flushes when the stranger meets her eyes, taking in a sharp breath at the intense coloring of her irises. _Damn._ Her heart skips a beat. She stares a bit more than she should, admiring the way the stranger's bangs fall against pale cheek bones. The stranger finally looks away to glance around the section around the desk and a part of Jen wonders if she's sensing Boston.

" _She's pretty easy on the eyes, huh Jen,_ " Boston whispers,nudging Jen in her side. All she can do is nod dumbly before remembering that she hasn't even said anything yet.

"Good morning, my name is Constantine Jen," the Japanese falls a bit awkward on her tongue, but is easily understandable, "How can I help you today?"

The stranger tilts her head, a look in her eyes tells Jen that in some way or manner, the stranger is testing her. Assessing her. Her eyes flicker to the back of the wall and then toward the bookshelf.

"Palm Reading for Experts? Do you perform that service here," she looks at Jen curiously, "For what price would you offer such a service?"

Jen's smile becomes more forced as she lets out a harsh sigh through her teeth. She tries not to meet the stranger's gaze, lest she gets lost in them. She stands her ground, she hasn't reached that low yet. She's not her father, after all, no matter how much she wants to.

 _I bet her hands are soft._ Jen almost thinks that it's a part of conscious speaking to her before she realizes that Boston is wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. _Damn that spirit._

"While I am capable of performing such a task, I do not offer it as a service. My specialty is helping those plagued by spiritual or paranormal forces. I can't imagine a higher energy medium like you needing any help, but I am welcome to be of service if you need me. But if you have come here for any fortune telling, tarot readings, or anything of the sort, then I give you my sincerest apologies and will have to ask you to leave. If you'd like I can give you the number of a more localized fortune teller, who comes highly recommended."

Boston leans down and whispers into her ear, _"No wonder you don't get many clients."_

She swats at him over her shoulder, hoping the gesture can pass as swatting away a fly. The stranger, however, notices and eyes Jen cautiously with only a bit of hostility.

"I don't require any of your assistance," she says your as if she speaks to the lowest creature she has ever met, "Nor am I here for a palm reading."

Maybe it's from the way Jen finds her eye twitching, but suddenly the beautiful stranger is just a normal, plain stranger who isn't as welcome in her office. The stranger has the nerve to continue as if her words even make sense.

"I hoped that I could actually be of service to you."

Jen blinks dumbly at the words before she speaks, trying to string together the stranger's meaning, "I'm sorry? We're not currently hiring right now."

 _Oh strike one._ The stranger looks annoyed, her lips forming a pout as her eye twitches and her aura flares. Jen grins. S _he must be a fiery one, those ones are always fun, I wonder how long until I make her final nerve snap._ She almost forgot how much fun it is to piss people off - no wonder Boston does it so much. But the stranger doesn't snap, merely take a deep, calming breath before turning back to Jen.

"I was passing through when the energies at this location caught my attention," she speaks slowly as if she doesn't think Jen would be able to follow along, "I had hoped that I could be of service for cleansing this area of such energies."

Boston lets out a booming laugh that makes Jen hide a flinch at the sudden, loud noise in her ear. She's not nearly as amused as he is. She crosses her arms against her chest and makes a clicking sound against the roof of her mouth with her tongue before rolling it over her lips with a smack.

"Take a look around, sweetheart, does it really look like I need help?"

The stranger bristles, her lip curling, "As positive as most of the energy is, it doesn't change the fact that I can feel an underlying tone of darkness. Obviously, you can't sense it but there is a spirit within this very area that may even be causing it. You can read all the books you want, but this sort of work requires a naturally born talent - a gift - that no book can give."

" _Obviously_ ," Jen mimics, resting the urge to laugh. She thinks she's hot shit - more like a hot mess.

Boston doesn't take too kindly to the stranger's words either, rolling his eyes as he idly drifts past her before settling a good foot above her from behind. He openly mocks her as she speaks, complete with the puppy-like hand gestures. Jen snorts, causing the stranger to glare at her.

"Nice glare, I've seen better," Jen moves from her spot to sit behind her desk, "And I'm not stupid."

She gestures to the room, referring to the wards, stones and other guards, the need to prove the stranger wrong raises. "Why do you think I have so many wards in place? It was draining and time consuming, so I can assure you that it wasn't for fun. But that so-called darkness is contained and frankly, I'm gonna nicely ask you to leave if you insist on insulting my expertise."

Jen's eyes narrow in warning, "And I don't want to ask again in a not-so-nice way."

The stranger moves forward in a huff, a forceful stomp in her step. Boston gives a holler, urging Jen on. Frankly, she doesn't really appreciate this pretty stranger shitting on her. Clients, she understands their hesitant, they're scared, they don't know what's going on, and they don't know if she will really help their problem. But this girl is a psychic, so what is her excuse? _She thinks she's better than me? A fucking Constantine._

"The door's the other way, sweetheart."

The stranger purses her lip and her nose twitches, she's getting impatient. Good. Glad to know the feeling is mutual. Jen's focuses slip briefly as a buzzing sensation tingling at the back of her mind. Her eyes drift to the desk drawer. The sensation grows, she can feel a mild heat radiating from the desk. This, however, the stranger does seem to notice. She takes a step backward with an angry, furrowed brow and a snarl.

"You -"

Her voice is sharp and crass, sounding harsher than before. She cuts herself off with a sudden confusion, closing her eyes as she takes a calming breath. Jen can feel the way the stranger's aura reacts to the stone's sudden surge. Reaching out to her, urging her to give in to anger. Jen's eyes narrow, watching red wisps seep out of the drawer toward the stranger.

"Alright, here's the not so nice way," Jen stands from the desk and gently nudges the stranger toward the door. She places a hand on the stranger's back. She does her best to project a protective aura around the girl, pushing away the red darkness that threatens her. She whispers sharply in her ear, "Leave. Now."

The demand causes the stranger's attention to snap back to Jen, a strange look on her face that's not quite anger nor irritation. She looks scared. She takes the hint and like that, she's out of the door in a confused, hurried shuffle. Boston moves out of her way instinctively, as if he wouldn't have gone through her. He lets out a low whistle.

"Wow. What a fucking show. Who the fuck does she think she is acting all superior?"

Jen's lips twitch in amusement, but hurries back to the desk frantically. People acting that superior doesn't bother her too much, not when she knows that they don't know just who she is yet or what she can do. What does bother her, however, is a certain red stone sitting in a safe in the drawer. Someone shouldn't have been able to sense it from the second story all the way from the sidewalk.

"Boston," Jen's tone causes him to snap his attention toward her with concern, "She shouldn't have been able to sense it."

Technically, Jen shouldn't be able to sense it like this either. Her hand, just in front of the drawer, tingles with energy as if it's getting stronger. Or pissed. She bites her lower lip and takes her back back, resisting the urge to check on it. The energy grows stronger. She can't take her eyes off of it. It's radiating with such an energy that it's captivating, pulling her in, trying to get her to… something. She takes a deep breath and two steps back, hunched over, she closes her eyes and refuses to look at it. She feels sick, as if she's going to throw up. Dizzy. Disorientated. Confused. She can't figure out what she's feeling and she wants to be frustrated. She ignores the pulsing sensation that lashes out as if it's trying to cling to something within her, trying to grab ahold of her.

But just like that, it's gone.


	3. Chapter Two

**CHAPTER TWO**

* * *

A few more wards and binding spells later, Jen is more reassured that the rock - or whatever it really is - won't have the chance to leak out its influence. At least not for the moment. It'd take a big negative event, or something akin to it, to draw it out enough to break free. She crosses her fingers that the headlines will be clear of any tragic events.

A large part of her still worries, but ultimately, she puts her faith in her bindings. At least it's contained enough to continue on with what business she does have. Bills don't pay themselves and there is only so much she can borrow from Uncle Jason - the word 'borrow' is used strongly here since that implies that she would pay him back and with low business, she can hardly even think about saving enough to do so. _At least I'm his favorite 'niece.'_

But going on with business isn't exactly the right words to use either, as that would imply she had clients to attend to. Which she doesn't. She's called what few people left messages back to no avail. She's left messages at other establishments, but all she is left to do is dust shelves. Again. Despite her close proximity to the rock's location, she can't feel its energy anymore. She doubts that she has are atoned, for now. Hopefully, it will stay that way, though she wonders why Uncle Jason truly left her with that rock in the first place.

He's busy, but this seems too strong for something that would normally be left in her care. It feels different - and definitely not in a good way. It's negativity is vastly stronger than anything else she'd encounter for a single object. It left a bad taste in her mouth and a feeling in her gut that eventually that rock would bite her in ass. But it could be Uncle Jason's way of saying that he trusted her, which would be nice. He isn't so easily impressed and not exactly her father's biggest fan. He'd always been doubtful of her abilities and her control.

She smiles, pride welling in her chest until she remembers that pride from her Uncle Jason isn't going to bring clients through the door.

"I don't get it, Boston. I've done the ads, contacted churches, even reached out to a reportedly few haunted spots. Everyone is either not interested or it's been handled by this so-called SPR group."

Boston nods, listening intently, "Yeah that SPR place seems to be naggin' too much business in this area. Have you tried payin' them a visit? Seein' what the big deal is?"

She snorts, muttering under her breath about how how in America, Constantine, is a pretty 'big deal.' Her father had issues, more than he can handle at times, but that didn't stop the fact that he was - is - a big time exorcist. No one seems to know who Constantine is here. She thought it would be refreshing to have no one compare her to him or condemn her for her father's sins, but she's beginning to miss being a 'big deal.' Though she definitely doesn't miss the attention that being a Constantine gets from the paranormal.

 _I wonder if ghosts are internationally connected enough to know about me?_ She's sure the demons would know, but what about the everyday average spirit? Poltergeist? She's not sure what she wants that answer to be.

"And say what? _Hey stop stealing all the cases because you're not the only ones with bills to pay?_ Yeah, I'm sure it'd go over well."

She grumbles under her breath in a mocking tone. Boston looks at her curiously before he gets a cheeky grin on his face, sliding over to her with his hands behind his back.

"Soundin' a bit jealous there, Jenny."

"I am not," she swats at him, trying to shoo him away. He just hums thoughtfully with that same grin.

" _Yes you are~_ "

Before she continues arguing with a spirit - of all things - the phone rings. Boston lets out a shout as she pushes him out of the way, quite literally, to reach to the phone before it stops going off. Her feet slide across the wooden floors, causing her to nearly crash into the desk, but at least she reaches the phone in time. With a smile she knows that they can't see, she answers in her best customer service voice.

"Lifetower, for all of your psychic, paranormal, and otherworldly needs. This is Constantine Jen, how can I help you today?"

It takes a moment before a voice quietly speaks up, as if they're afraid to be overhead by someone - or something.

" _...Hello? My name is Nakamoto Kana. I need help. It's my daughter - she just… she says she's seeing things, things that aren't there. I thought maybe she was imagining it, but the things she's describing and now things are happening…_ "

She grabs a notebook and pen from the desk, glaring at Boston for his close proximity, his ear turned to the phone as he tries to listen in. She writes _Nakamoto Kana_ in big letters at the top, along with the number that showed on the Called ID. A part of her hopes that this woman's poor daughter really is just imagining things, but the other part that acknowledges that there is a chance that this woman's daughter is seeing very real, very scary things, makes her gut turn.

Seeing the things that go bump in the night, the things that no one else wants to acknowledge exists, is serious at any age. It will mess you up. Her father first saw them in the people on a bus when he was thirteen - it landed him in the hospital with slit wrists. She saw them before she could talk, staring down at her while she played with toys within a crib with dark shadows surrounding her. It's things that you wish you could forget, but it's always there, burning in the back of your mind along with all the fear you first felt. She's been doing this for a while, seeing things as long as she can remember, and there are still things that make her blood run cold.

"Deep breaths, Nakamoto-san, I will do everything in my power to help you and your family. Why don't you start by telling me everything you can about what's been going on and what your daughter is describing? Is she experiencing any other strange behaviors, personality changes, not sleeping?"

" _A few years ago, she told me there were demons in the house with eyes darker than any night. She used to draw them. I just… I can't imagine that that's really what my little girl is seeing. She keeps saying that they tell her that her soul is damned._ "

The woman chokes up a bit, coughing as she tries to find her voice, _"She doesn't sleep for more than two hours a night, if at all. She doesn't eat anymore either. If we're lucky, we can get her to eat maybe a bowl of soup. Lately, she doesn't even want to eat that. She just stays in her room, mumbling to herself or has random fits. We've tried medications, but nothing seems to help. And now, things are starting to move around on their own… I just… I'm desperate. Doctors can't help, so maybe you and the others can…"_

Jen raises an eyebrow as she writes the information down, failed medications, desperate mother, black eyed demons, random fits, screaming, loss of sleep, loss of appetite… _Oppression, maybe?_ Doubtful of a full possession considering the mother has yet to mention of anything violent, but something makes Jen pause.

"...Others?"

The woman has the decency to sound embarrassed, _"You're… not the first person I've called. The other group - SPR I believe - is still here, but nothing they're doing is working."_

She trails off and it takes a moment for Jen to realize just who the 'others' are. She can't help the devious idea that begins to form in her mind. This was perfect, all she would have to do is accept, meet this so-called SPR group, show them what she can do, show their client what she can do and boom. Suddenly SPR isn't as hot as they'd like to believe and meanwhile, her business will bloom once word gets out. She can beat them at their own game, steal their case for a change. It'd be a piece of cake.

"That'll be no problem," honey drips from her voice, causing Boston to look at her in confusion.

Jen writes down a quick note to him - _SPR is there, I have a plan_. He sighs, but ultimately seems to come to terms with it.

"I'm sure we can all find a way to either work together or work around each other. When and where would you like me to come by?"

As Jen writes down the address followed by a time for tomorrow, she grins. Suddenly, things are looking up. Hopefully sales will be too.


	4. Chapter Three

**CHAPTER THREE**

* * *

The case is simple. Kana Nakamoto's daughter, Kimura, is claiming to see demons all around the house. She draws the things she sees and judging from those, it doesn't seem pretty. The daughter will go into panic attacks, fits of rage, and other episodes all at the drop of a hat. According to her mother, Kimura is very firm in her belief of her demons. Yet aside from things moving around here and there, the others in the house aren't dealing with too much. Medication isn't helping, no matter how many pills they've shoved down her throat. Other investigators have tried only to find nothing - the SPR doesn't seem to be doing any better.

 _Can't ask for a better case_ , Jen thinks. It should be pretty close and shut, nothing she can't handle and certainly something that she can do that the SPR can't. As she draws closer to the house, driving through a narrow driveway, she frowns deeply at the sensation that floods through her - or rather, the lack of.

Boston floats beside her in the passenger seat - Jen doesn't even bother telling him to wear a seatbelt considering the fact that it won't do much.

"What's the matter, buttercup? It's your big break!"

Jen shakes her head slowly, "That's the problem. I think big break is a bit of a stretch. Look around Boston, do you see anything here?"

He shakes his head with a shrug, "Not really, but you're the one with all the mystic mumbo-jumbo, not me."

She snorts, "Yeah and my mystic mumbo-jumbo isn't tell me anything. Amplified emotions, sure, and I would be concerned if this wasn't such a high stress situation. The daughter's probably freaked out, the mom is terrified, that's all pretty normal in any case, but what's not is that I don't actually sense anything that is causing their fear."

"Huh." Boston frowns, "No baddies, then?"

"Notta," she shakes her head, "Not even a low-level spirit. But just because I can't see anything here doesn't mean that something isn't going on. This woman's daughter is going through something and it's my job now to find out what."

Boston hums in thought, but doesn't offer much. Jen, however, just frowns deeply. If there's no demons, no ghosts, that doesn't mean that something paranormal isn't going on. A curse, maybe? Some sort of hex? Maybe a backfired spell if the girl practices stuff. She hopes that it's something like a curse, as bad as that sounds. If it isn't that or something similar, then the daughter's psyche may play a factor and that is something that Jen has little that she can do aside from some charms. She could use a spell to (quite literally) get into the girl's head, which would against the whole 'natural' thing she has going now, but that can prove to be dangerous if she doesn't know the girl's mental state. She could end up getting trapped or worse.

 _But I don't think I'm in over my head just yet._

* * *

Mai huffs as she takes an open seat, crossing her arms against her chest with a pout. _I wonder why Naru took this case, there's not anything really going on here. We haven't got a single piece of evidence aside from one shot of a moving bookcase - it could be a poltergeist, but Naru doesn't seem too convinced that that's the case._

She wonders if the daughter they've been sent here to investigate did something to rig the bookcase, maybe that was why Naru didn't seem to like it. Or maybe, like always, there is something more going on here that she won't know about until the last second since Naru doesn't exactly like sharing his plans. She swears she could really slap some sense into him sometimes.

She glances toward the door, where Nakamoto-san had left moments ago when the doorbell rang. _And I wonder who's even here? She didn't mention anything about any guests coming._ She looks toward Naru, who frowns and doesn't seem too pleased that whomever it is at the door has interrupted them going over the bookcase video with Nakamoto-san.

"Wonder who it is," John comments, taking a seat by Mai, "She didn't mention anyone coming, did she?"

"No," Naru closes his eyes in frustration, letting out a long sigh through his nose, "But I have a feeling I know who it is."

"Want to share with the rest of the class," Monk raises an eyebrow, but Naru isn't nearly as amused.

"Yesterday she called Lifetower - another paranormal investigation group not too far from our own base. Apparently she's not too convinced in our abilities to solve this case."

Mai's eyes widen slightly, and she's not the only one. On some level or another, everyone seems a bit surprised at the revelation. Yasu lets out a low whistle in surprise while John merely blinks in shock. _Lifetower,_ Mai wonders, _I haven't heard about them before. Are they a less popular group or a new one? Naru doesn't seem too threatened by the mention of them, just frustrated._

"What," Ayako screeches, "Then why are we even here? If she wants someone else, let them do it."

"I hate to say it, but she has a point," Monk agrees, if a bit hesitant, "Why are we still here if she thinks we can't do it?"

"It's not that simple," Lin speaks up as he stands from his spot near the monitors, "We were paid to do a job and we will do that job no matter who else she hires."

"And it will give us the opportunity to show her exactly why she doesn't need a different group," Naru adds, "and show Lifetower that it's quite rude to take over someone's case in the middle of it."

"Funny I didn't peg you for the showoff type," Monk gives a dry, sarcastic comment as he leans against the wall.

Mai rolls her eyes, yeah right, we all know that Naru will take any chance he has to show he's 'so much better' than anyone else.

"Did you say Lifetower," Masako's voice is quite, as if she's trying to figure out what that name sounds familiar to her.

"Do you know it," John questions, "I don't think I've personally heard of them, but maybe if I know the name of the investigator -"

"It's Constantine Jen."

Mai turns toward the door at the unknown voice to see a young woman standing in the doorway with a cocky smirk on her lips. She doesn't look too much older than Naru, maybe a year or two at the most. Dirty blonde hair is pulled into a half ponytail at the back of her head and her outfit looks Western with it being very loose on her. She has multiple different gems and stones on a long thin rope around her neck and Mai wonders if they have any sort of meaning or if it's just for decoration. She has an air around her that Mai can't quite put her finger on, as if she's more than she seems.

Only two people in the room recognize her, neither being someone Mai expected. John's eyes go wide as he whispers Constantine under his breath, as if he can't believe what he's hearing, like she's some sort of hero or well known paranormal investigator, but if that was the case why didn't Naru seem to know her? Masako, however, has the strongest reaction, taking a step backward with a strained look on her face that's a mix of disgust, disbelief, and anger.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Jen bows shortly and swiftly, but her eyes stay on Masako, "I believe we've met before, though I never quite caught the name of the person who so rudely burst into my business only to insult it. I still haven't gotten any apology, by the way."

Masako flushes deeply while everyone turns to look at her in question, even Naru seems mildly interested in what's transpiring before him.

"I will - not," Masako stutters slightly as she huffs, "You are a disgrace to the business to think that you can pass off palm reading - "

"-Something I told you I didn't offer," Jen adds.

"-And," Masako continues, ignoring the comment, "- to make everyone believe you some sort of gift when all you are is a shaman and a con!"

Ayako raises a brow, whispering catfight to Monk, who hides a snort behind his hand. Though Masako's obvious anger toward the newcomer is an amusing surprise to all of them. Mai, most of all, who welcomes the idea of someone who sees Masako for what she is - a rude, snidey know-it-all. Though she never thought Masako could get so easily flustered.

"That's where you're wrong, sweetheart," Jen winks, causing Masako's cheeks to grow a darker shade of red, "I do have a gift, quite a few actually. I can juggle up to four bowling pins, for example, afraid that's the only P-G example I can give."

This time, Monk does laugh, causing Mai, Ayako and Yasu to all also break as Masako stomps her feet in a huff, not knowing how to react to such a comment. Naru leans against the wall, letting the scene play out before him as he shares a glance with Lin, both of them noting that despite her apparent feud with Masako, Jen Constantine does have a supernatural gift - one that both of them can feel easily and strongly.

"That's not what I -"

Masako stops as Nakamoto-san pokes her head in through the door, looking sheepishly at the SPR. She takes a step in, with Jen offering her her arm as support as she gives a smile to Nakamoto-san.

"I'm sorry," Nakamoto-san explains, dipping her head in shame, "I didn't mean to cause you any embarrassment, I just thought that two paranormal groups are better than one and I - I just want you to find out what's going on with my daughter."

"We'll work together," Naru states, causing the rest to look mildly surprised at his willingness to work with someone else, "And we will get to the bottom of things."

"Thank you, you're such a sweet boy, I know you two will get along swimmingly, I'm sure."

Jen snorts. _Yeah I'm sure that by tomorrow we'll all be having tea parties too._


	5. Chapter Four

**CHAPTER FOUR**

* * *

The silence following Naru's declaration is, well, silent… and awkward. After Nakamoto-san has left, the others look to each other with uncertainty. Mai watches Masako's cheeks puff up and flush as she crosses her arms against her chest, upset with the situation, but not wanting to go against Naru's statement. Mai wouldn't be surprised if Masako would bend backwards if he asked. Ayako doesn't look pleased either, but unlike Masako, is more vocal about her opposition.

"We don't have anymore openings for children," Ayako glares down at Jen with disdain, though Jen doesn't seem too bothered by it, rather a bit bored.

"And I see the position of rude and old shrine maiden is full too."

Ayako takes a step forward, but Jen stands her ground easily. She looks up at Ayako as if she has nothing to lose, technically, she really doesn't. She doesn't even have to work with them in the first place, but given the chance to show them up would be so much more fun if they were working together. It'd give her a better chance to really rub it in their faces. She would actually get to see them brainstorm about what's wrong and how to fix it and then after their answer is wrong, she'll swoop in with the right one saying how she knew what they were doing wouldn't work. Her way will be right and they will get to see how much better she is - and this Naru guy will regret taking so many cases from her instead of staying out of her way.

"How did you know she was a shrine maiden," Mai piques up curiously, tilting her head to the side.

Jen waves the question off with a wave of her hand, as if it's nothing, "Her aura is a dead give away. Shrine maidens always have this certain connection with nature that dominates all other qualities in their aura - though that connection is pretty useless when you're in a home that's in the middle of a field with little for them to draw their power from."

Naru hums in thought, sharing a look with Lin as they both see the potential that's beginning to come through. The power that comes off of her is one thing, but if she has the brain to match, she could be an interesting addition.

"Who are you calling useless, you little -"

"Hey now," Monk steps in between the two as sparks being to fly, "If we're going to be working together, it'd be best if we did our best to get along. Constantine, Jen, isn't it? What's your speciality?"

" _Tell him you go by Jenny_ ," Boston whispers into her ear and she, not very politely, ignores him as she nods in agreement.

"Feel free to call me Jen. I'm not much for formalities. My abilities range, I'm fairly good at charms, containment and protection. But I'd have to say that my speciality is exorcism, ordained by the Vatican, the Belz Synagogue, and the Fashi."

The last one gets Lin's attention as he stands a bit straighter, looking at her closely, but he offers no objection. Naru looks mildly impressed, if he were to believe her, then being ordained by not merely one religion, but three, is impressive. He eyes a keychain attached to her hip, noting the charms as various religious symbols, all being common ones used in exorcisms. He's inclined to believe her - for now. Though he has to admit that he's curious to see if she can live up to what she says she can do.

"If you don't mind me asking," John speaks up, taking a step forward with a welcoming smile, "Is it not too far fetched to believe that you're related to Constantine John then?"

A bit of excitement flutters in her chest at the mention of her father's name. While it's sometimes, it's not exactly good if someone knows her dad personally since he doesn't exactly have a charming personality, the idea of being recognized for what she is - a Constantine, a fucking Constantine - makes her light up.

 _"Let's hope your dad doesn't owe him money,_ " Boston whispers, causing Jen to snort.

"I only ever heard him speak at a seminar at the Vatican - interesting man, but he didn't strike mas the fatherly type."

"Well you're right on the money on that," Jen states dryly, "Unless he owes you money, if that's the case, then no he's not my dad and I never met him in my life."

"Am I missing something," Monk steps forward with confusion written on his face.

"Constantine John," Naru takes the liberty explain, "He's one of the best well-known exorcists in the world. Ordained by multiple religious organizations, but a self-proclaimed sorcerer."

 _Sorcerer,_ Mai's brows furrow, _like magic? I know ghosts are real, but magic seems a bit far-fetched, and what would a sorcerer do anyway?_ She glances around to see the others more skeptical of the title, at least she wasn't the only one. Jen seems unphased by the skepticism as she gives a large grin. Naru raises a brow, making a note of her reaction - if she wasn't flustered, it's likely she's not embarrassed, which means that she's either accepted that her father's title is crazy or believes it. He hopes it's the former, but her grin seems the latter.

"Seems like a nutjob more than a real exorcist," Ayako snorts.

"Don't be so sure," John corrects her, "I don't necessarily believe his 'talents' with magic, but he is a great exorcist, he alone has doubled the number of successful exorcisms by ordained members of the Vatican."

"That's dad alright," Jen pops her lips together, "And while I love talking about him, I still don't know who it is that I'm supposed to be 'working with.' I've been calling you rather colorful names in my head."

"How mature," Masako sneers a bit, though Jen just gives her a grin.

"Don't worry, _you_ have the most colorful one."

"Huh I wonder what mine was," Yasu hums in thought, "But you are right, it was rather rude of us not to introduce ourselves. Osamu Yasuhara at your service."

"Shibuya Kazuya," Naru steps in, "I'm the lead investigator of the Shibuya Psychic Research. Kōujo Lin is my second in command while Taniyama Mai is my shrine maiden is Matsuzaki Ayako, our monk is Takigawa, the medium is Hara Masako, and the priest is Brown John."

Everyone gives a polite (and hesitant, in Ayako and Masako's case) nod in greeting. Jen looks each one of them over carefully, noting which ones are more likely to cause her trouble - with their 'lead investigator' right at the right at the front of the list. His aura gives off power, more than a typical medium type, but also gives off a lot of self-confidence that will likely get in her way. The only two people, aside from Yasu, who seems indifferent to her being there, that seem relatively pleasant are John and Mai. Monk seems to be close to Ayako, who has made her displeasure clear, which means he would take her side in a fight - though he also seems to be a 'big brother' to everyone there, he's likely not to believe her over any of them, which seems fair since he doesn't exactly know her either.

She also notes the fact that nearly every single person in the room has some manner of either spiritual power or psychic power - considering that there's a monk and a priest, that explains the former. The medium explains the latter. But why didn't Naru give himself a title other than lead investigator when he has one of the most powerful psychic energies? Mai is, surprisingly, close behind him. She wonders what the two could do if they put their powers together.

"Pleasure to meet all of you."

Mai wonders if the smile ever leaves Jen's face, it seems as if all she does is give off a chiper grin that doesn't quite meet her eyes and seems almost forced. There's a small twitch in her cheek as if she's having trouble smiling. It seems fake. _As if she doesn't know how to be truly happy_. She shivers and rubs her shoulders at a sudden cold chill down her spin, the hairs on her neck standing on end. There's a prickingly at the back of her mind, as if warning her, tell her that something is nearby. She can feel something touch the back of her head. _Cold spots are one of the many signs of a presence_ , one of Naru's many comments runs through her head. She glances around, but sees nothing. Though she sees that Naru and Masako both seem on end as if they sensed something too.

Jen, meanwhile, tries her best to keep a straight face as Boston stands behind Mai, continuously making weird, funny faces.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, we have Mai that misunderstands Jen's face when in reality she's trying not to laugh - or maybe there's some truth in there after all. For now, they're brushing the presence off thinking it's part of the house.**

 _Vatican - the headquarters for the Roman Catholic Church_

 _Belz Synagogue - the largest Jewish synagogue in Israel_

 _Fashi - Chinese ritual masters, known for traveling China to perform exorcisms and offer protection_


	6. Chapter Five

**Mai's name is corrected; sorry about the mistake! I have dyslexia and Mai's name is just one of those words that always gets me. But updates are to happen more frequently now! Thank you for all your support and reviews!**

 **\- CWA**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIVE**

As the team, or more accurately Mai, fills Jen in with what's already occurred during their presence in the house, Jen's reactions are carefully watched and noted by most of the other team. Naru isn't quite pleased with Mai being so open about their findings, but the chance to find out what the daughter of the esteemed (deranged) Constantine could do piques his interest. He can feel something from her, power he knows, but he's not sure just how much power - it could be she's putting all her eggs in one basket, pushing her energy toward him to let him know that she's not some joke, or it could be that, like him, she's reigning in her power and even with her controlling it, there's still loose strands that reach out to test him.

It'll be interesting to see how it plays out, he notes, as she makes faces at the screens of their recordings with skepticism and lack of interest. Ever so often, she makes an offhand comment under her breath that he doesn't quite catch, almost as if she's speaking to herself, making him question if the apple fell closer to the tree than he thought.

John watches her with an almost wide eyed fascination, a grin never leaving his face, eager to see what the daughter of John Constantine could do. He knows, better than most, that someone who comes from an esteemed family doesn't always mean anything, but when it comes to supernatural gifts - gifts that are often inherited and passed down to each family member… He wonders if her father's gift for exorcism and understanding spirits has passed to her, if not, then he'd at least love to have a conversation to see what her father did teach her.

Monk rolls his eyes at John's puppy dog expression, arms crossed as he waits to see what Jen will finally say about their evidence. If she's a psychic and can help, that's great, and if not, whatever, they will get her out of their way and do their job. He glances toward Masako, who still stands in a haughty stance with a flushed, furrowed expression, it will be interesting.

Finally, as Mai finishes her spiral about their findings, Jen pats Mai on the shoulder in a way that is a touch too friendly and gives her a you did great sweetie smile. She

"Thank you for catching me up, darling, that was very nice of you." Jen squeezes Mai's shoulder and Mai beams under the praise, soaking up the rare appreciation shown her way, but then Jen turns to the others in the room, "But you all do know that there's not a haunting here by now, right? If you really believe in ghosts are involved, I'd be worried about your careers."

"But the video," Mai points toward the screen with furrowed brows.

" - shows something moving, yeah," Jen nods along, "But definitely not a ghost that did that piece of work. ESPN maybe, a curse, a hex… Won't know 'till I see the girl, but I knew before I even walked in that there was no spirits here."

Masako, whose nerves are still shot and are eager to gain back some type of control, calms down as the color in her face returns to her normal. Her expression, though neutral, doesn't hide the spark in her eyes.

"You cannot sense spirits well, I doubt even at all," Masako states simply, "Because there is very clearly a spirit in this room. Most of us have already sensed it."

Now that she mentions it, Mai furrows her brows in thought as she focuses on the goosebumps that been running along her skin for the past half hour. I thought I've been something, I just thought it was a cold spot. Naru doesn't confirm Masako's statement, but he doesn't deny it either, which had to have meant that Masako's statement held some truth.

Monk hums a bit - he felt a bit cold, but can't say he's really felt anything aside from that. He wonders why Masako, or Naru for that matter, didn't speak up sooner; the spirit, if Masako is right, is here, then it must not be too concerning for it not to have been brought up sooner. He glances at Aayako, who seems skeptical of Masako's statement and doesn't seem worried about any spirit lingering in the area. John, however, is a bit too interested in Jen's statements to really show any agreement or disagreement to Masako.

Jen doesn't seem angry, just a bit annoyed as she fixes the ponytail on the back of her hair. Mai catches her muttering something about someone pulling on it, but Mai didn't see anything tug on her hair, unless it got caught on something.

"Bold of you to say most of you have already sensed him when there are three of you who aren't inclined for that type of psychic gift," Jen struggles a bit to fix her hair, as if something is keeping her from it. She gives a huff, giving up as she puts the hairband on her wrist and settling for running her fingers through her hair to fix it as much as she could. "And don't call him an it, that's just rude. His name is Boston, he's with me."

Aayko scoffs, pursing her lips with a mix of disgust and disapproval, "With you? Spirits aren't just with people."

Jen matches her tone, standing up straighter as she puffs her chest, "Spirits aren't just with people, well someone has to tell him that because he seems to think that instead of going about his own spirit business, he's better suited on watching over me."

She deflates quickly when a quick flick is given to the back of her neck by said spirit. She rubs at the spot with a hurt gleam in her eyes that she sees is mirrored in Boston's. A small bit of guilt hits in her chest that she tries her best to brush off.

"A guardian," Naru speaks up, watching her with interest, "or a family member? It's rare, but possible."

It's not completely unheard of - spirits of family members lingering over a certain member, watching over them, attaching themselves to them until they finally move on. Could be a type of guardian - a spirit guide is more likely. Maybe a household deity, but if she's from America and her family is spread out, it would be difficult for a single household guardian to look over everyone.

Jen just moves her hand in the air as if to say ehhhh with a shrug, "Yes and no. More of a spirit of justice who made friends with Dad a while back ago and then stuck around with me. He likes to see spirits brought to justice and so do I. Hence friendship. He can leave anytime he wants, but he's that annoying, clingy type of friend."

And my best friend, goes unspoken on her lips, but she swallows the statement down.

"An actual spiritual embodiment of justice," John piques, head cocked to the side.

She feels a pinch at her side and waves Boston off as much as she can with thinned lips.

"Sort of. Most I know is that his death failed to see any justice, his killer ran free, and some god or another fell for his puppy dog eyes and gave him power to obtain his justice. He didn't get it, now he likes to get justice for others."

Jen frowns when she notices a severe lack of Boston's presence, not even seeing him nor feeling him anywhere in the room.

"I'd say ask himself yourself, but he's left for now, probably back home or got called to do something."


End file.
